Hearts for Kensi
by LovestoRead2013
Summary: A short Densi romance for Valentine's Day (with some angst). Not related to any of my other fics. Enjoy! Story now complete.
1. Chapter 1

**HEARTS FOR KENSI **

**Thursday, February 13 - 2:35 a.m. **

Kensi stared at the time on her cell phone. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she laid it down on the bedside table. Her last contact with Deeks was a brief text 2 days ago. She grabbed the phone again and scrolled through the messages to read it once more.

Deeks – _Checking in. U good?_

Kensi – _I'm bored. U?_

Deeks – _Tired._

Kensi – _When r u coming home?_

Deeks – _Soon. Save me a donut._

Kensi – _I ate them all._

Deeks – _What? Fern, you'll get fat and can't wear your size 2 jeans! _

That brought a tiny smile to her face. But it was not the same as having him beside her complaining, mainly in jest, that her starfish sleeping pattern was pushing him off the bed.

_Fern_. She used to hate the silly nickname. Now she'd give anything, even 2 dozen donuts, to hear Deeks utter it.

And what did he mean by _soon_? Tomorrow was Valentine's Day. Did he realize that? They didn't have to go out or do anything extravagant. To have him safe at home with her would be the best Valentine present ever.

For the last 3 weeks, he'd been working an undercover assignment for LAPD. Would these ever end? He couldn't reveal any details and she understood and respected that. However, it didn't mean she had to like it.

No sir, she hated it every time they pulled him back in. He was good at the undercover stuff, but it reminded her that he'd led a different sort of life before she met him. And that she was not the only woman to pass through his life.

_I don't want to pass through; I want to be forever._

"Ugh."

She pummeled Deeks' pillow and hugged it to her chest. Until she could wrap her arms around the real deal, this would have to suffice. But it was a poor substitute. She huffed and squirmed around trying to get comfortable. Then her brain began replaying the conversation they had the afternoon he left:

"_You know I'm still tied to LAPD."_

_Kensi glared at him with her hands on her hips. "Yes, and I don't like it. When are you going to cut those ties and become a real NCIS agent? Don't you want to be my permanent partner?"_

"_I've been thinking about it. About a lot of things actually."_

"_What things?" demanded Kensi. "Are you going back to them?" Her stomach began flip-flopping. _

"_You make LAPD sound like an ex-wife."_

_Before he could continue, his phone chirped with a text. He quickly read it and slipped the phone back into his pocket. _

"_Kens, can we not get into this right now? I have to be at the precinct in forty-five minutes."_

_Her shoulders slumped. "Fine."_

_He stepped closer and lightly gripped her upper arms. "I promise we'll talk, really talk, when I get back. Okay? Don't count me out." His eyes went from ocean-blue to cobalt as his tone grew serious. _

"_Okay, sure. But. . ." She wanted to say more. Why couldn't she get the words out?_

"_What? Say it."_

"_Stay safe . . . for me."_

"_For you?" Deeks smiled. _

"_Yeah, if something happens to you, I'll have to break in a new partner. Not sure my sanity is up for that challenge. It took months to get you trained." Kensi rolled her eyes. _

"_Is that all? Why can't you just admit you're crazy about me and that I'm the only partner you'll ever need?"_

_Kensi was taken aback by the question. The bullpen didn't seem like the right place to acknowledge her rather complicated feelings for the man in front of her. Anyone might overhear and it could cause, well, awkwardness for the rest of the team._

_She poked his ribs. "Go on. The sooner you go, the sooner you can get back."_

_Deeks ached to kiss her, but he heard Sam and Callen returning from the gym. Best not to start something they couldn't finish. He squeezed her arms gently and left. He had to escape before he did something rash, like shove her against that column and kiss the living daylights out of her. Eric once mentioned there was a surveillance blind spot along one side of the column. _

_There was nothing more to say. Kensi stared after him, already missing his touch as the pall of loneliness descended on her. _

**11:40 A.M. – LAPD Safe House**

It was finally over. The bad guys had been taken down and were being fingerprinted and processed into the county jail. Deeks had given his statement and finished his paperwork.

He'd been awake for more hours than he cared to think about and he smelled like it, too. If Kensi was here, she'd be standing ten feet away with her nose wrinkled in disgust.

_Kensi. _ He couldn't wait to see her. He'd had a lot of time to think about her, about them, about NCIS, about life in general. It was time to get some things sorted out.

Technically, he was free to return to his apartment. But that was fifteen miles away and he desperately needed sleep.

The term "safe house" must be the fugitive squad's idea of a joke. This was a not-so-clean _apartment_ in a sketchy neighborhood with a not-so-secure lock on the door.

Whatever. At least it wasn't the dumpster behind the Ethiopian restaurant. He'd spent several uncomfortable nights there in his homeless persona. He pushed the ragged sofa in front of the door. It was too short for him to sleep on so he pulled the lumpy cushions to the floor and collapsed there.

He laid his main weapon by his head. His backup piece was strapped to his ankle. He set the alarm on his watch and closed his eyes, hoping to dream of Kensi. He was sound asleep in thirty seconds.

Tonight was crunch time. In more ways than one.

**The Muse dropped the idea for this little number on me and I had to obey! Next week you'll get more. Stay tuned and please review! **


	2. Going for the Gold

Page **11** of **11**

**CHAPTER 2 – Going for the Gold**

**Thursday, February 13 – 3 p.m. – Downtown L.A.**

Before going undercover, Deeks left a package with his friend Father Tim at the homeless shelter and soup kitchen. If something happened to him, Father Tim had instructions to give it to Kensi.

Fortunately, everything was good and Deeks returned now to retrieve it.

"Marty! Good to see you. All done with your . . . task?" asked Father Tim, looking over his shoulder. Several downtrodden individuals were waiting nearby for either a haircut or a hot meal. The priest knew Deeks was a cop and didn't want to blow his cover.

Deeks could tell Father Tim was trying not to breathe too deeply.

"Hey man, it's okay. I can barely stand myself right now," laughed Deeks. "I just came to get that package."

Father Tim chuckled. "And a haircut?"

"That would be good, too."

In another time and place, Father Tim owned a barber shop. His barbering skills proved to be quite useful in his new life.

"How is Kensi?" asked Father Tim as he shaped up Deeks' unruly hair.

Deeks smiled. "I'll know later tonight. She comes unglued when I have these little, uh, _adventures_ with the city's finest. She wants me to quit."

Father Tim caught Deeks' eye in the mirror. "You need to decide which relationship is more important to you. But something tells me you already have. If I can be of assistance with anything, let me know."

"Will do," said Deeks as he pressed a $100 bill into Father Tim's hand.

"Marty, you know we don't charge for anything here."

"I know. It's a donation and a thank you."

Father Tim went into his small office and unlocked the bottom drawer of a battered wooden desk. "I'll be anxious to hear what happens," he said as he handed Deeks his package.

"That makes two of us."

**4:30 p.m. – Deeks' Apartment**

Deeks finally showered and trimmed his facial hair a bit. Kensi pretended she didn't like his scruff, but he thought otherwise. Now he was pacing around the living room in his boxers with the phone to his ear. He almost stepped on Monty's tail a couple times as he listened to Hetty.

"Glad you're back, Mr. Deeks. Yes, I received your e-mail. The process is underway. I believe your partner will especially be happy to see you. In fact, I think Ms. Blye should help you re-acclimate tomorrow. I'll see both of you bright and early Monday morning."

"You're giving us the day off?"

"Of course, Mr. Deeks. It's Valentine's Day. Make the most of it."

The line went dead. Deeks stared at the phone, wondering if he'd heard correctly.

Then he pumped his fist. "Yes! Woo-hoo!"

Who would have pegged Hetty for a romantic?

**6:10 p.m.**

_Done! _ _This is happening! _

After several phone calls and texts, Deeks' big evening was coming together. Thanks to Eric, Deeks knew Kensi's location.

_Now to get myself together. _

His clothes were laid out neatly on the bed. Once more, he checked the box Father Tim had kept for him.

"Pretty awesome, isn't it, Monty? Think Kensi will be surprised?"

"Woof, woof!"

"Don't know what time we'll be back so you'll have to stand guard."

Monty wagged his tail. "Woof!"

"Good boy."

**7:15 p.m. – Women's Locker Room**

All day, Kensi, Callen, and Sam chased, subdued, arrested and interrogated suspects. They really kicked butt today and Kensi was wiped out. She decided to clean up and get some Indian take-out on the way home.

Once there, she would change into sweat pants and Deeks' grey hoodie that she'd plucked off the back of his chair. It would be kinda like having his arms around her. She might watch _Titanic_. For the 500th time. Or not. It wasn't the same without Deeks.

Sam had already left to go with Michelle to the PTA meeting at their daughter's school; Callen was going to a Russian cultural festival downtown; and Nell and Eric were going to a sci-fi movie at the mall. Apparently, it involved a lot of computer stuff they were excited about.

Deeks once accused Kensi of thinking about him in the shower. Tonight, she was guilty as charged. She imagined his first night back, whenever that might be. It would involve beer, bad TV, and battling for possession of the remote control. They would be lounging on the couch with Deeks toying with her hair.

Monty might join them, if there was room. On second thought, there wouldn't be room and Monty would whine, give them a look and then settle down by the coffee table. Hopefully, Deeks would talk about his case and she would again pester him about quitting the force. Eventually, they'd drift off to sleep tangled together as mind-numbing infomercials rolled across the TV screen.

It would be awesome!

She stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She rounded the corner and stared at the bench in front of the lockers. Her clothing had vanished. Every last stitch. Only her running shoes remained. She looked around and frowned at the empty locker room. 

Who would pull such a ridiculous stunt? Only one suspect came to mind.

"Deeks! You better show yourself. I'm tired and I'm hungry and I'm not in the mood for your games." 

She stood there a minute. "DEEKS!" Only deafening silence greeted her.

_There better be a good explanation for this_, she fumed.

She kept extra clothes in her locker. With a mumbled curse, she opened the locker to retrieve a tee shirt, jeans, and undies.

"Oh my God," she gasped when the door swung open. A garment bag from an exclusive Beverly Hills store hung on the hook and a shoebox sat on top of her folded jeans.

Her mouth dropped open. _What the hell? _Then she unzipped the bag. Inside was a strapless dark purple dress. Exquisite beading decorated the fitted sweetheart bodice.

_My favorite color! What is going on?_

She touched the silky fabric. It was a gorgeous creation . . . and expensive.

"Okay, I'll play along," she said to the empty room. In the shoebox she found matching purple heels. She let out a little squeak of pleasure.

From somewhere in the Mission, Deeks listened on his earpiece and chuckled.

"That's my girl."

"Deeks, if you're watching from somewhere, you're about to get an eyeful," she announced. Then she dropped the towel.

"Yeah, love to see that, Kensalina!" he mumbled from his secret place.

Kensi slipped into the beautiful dress and heels. Both fit like a dream. She felt a little naughty since she found no extra underwear in her locker.

_Deeks probably stole that, too. Oh well, commando it is. _

She finger-combed her still damp hair and wondered where Deeks was. She half expected him to sneak into the locker room and make some suggestive comment. She was somewhat disappointed when he didn't.

**7:45 p.m.**

Deeks drummed his fingers against the side of his thigh. He checked his watch. It was still 7:45 p.m. The same as it was 15 seconds ago. On the outside, he appeared calm and collected; on the inside, he felt like he'd had 20 cups of Starbucks.

Working undercover had taught him how to control his nerves and fear. But what he was experiencing at this moment was off the Richter scale.

Exiting the locker room, Kensi was greeted by a trail of red construction paper hearts taped to the floor.

"Deeks?"

No answer. The trail led to the gym where she found the two windows in the swinging doors covered from the inside with black paper. Surely he wasn't expecting her to shoot some hoops or take a stab at the climbing wall dressed like this.

_The mystery continues_, she thought.

Raising her hand to push through the doors, her stomach was hit with a wave of butterflies. Or maybe it was hunger pangs. No matter. She had to get a grip.

_Whatever this is, it's something big. Breathe in, breathe out. Focus! Act like you're going into sniper mode. And if it's not Deeks on the other side of those doors, somebody may lose a limb._

Her hands smoothed down the sides of her dress and then fidgeted with her hair.

_Just go for it, Kensi. _

She swung through the doors, halted, and gasped. "Deeks! You're back!"

He wore a black suit and a pale blue shirt open at the neck. He seemed thinner and paler. And was that stitches above his right eye? There were two chairs and a small table laid with a white tablecloth and lit candles.

"Yeah. I am," he said. His eyes skimmed over her body and he almost smiled. Almost.

Her own smile faded. Something in his manner kept her from rushing over to give him a hug. It was like they were meeting for the first time, both uncertain and sizing up each other.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I'm good. All good. You?"

"Fine. If you are," she answered. _This conversation sounds vaguely familiar. _

Neither one moved. Something was off here. A flash of irritation hit Kensi. "Cut the crap, Deeks. What's really going on here?"

He glanced down before taking a deep breath. "We need to talk, Kensi. I know it's usually the girl in a relationship who says that and the guy freaks out and . . ."

"What do you want to talk about?" she interrupted. Her voice took on a hard edge, but she didn't care.

"I did a lot of thinking while I was undercover this time. What else are you going to do while you're on stakeout for hours on end, right? Anyway, I thought about all the things you said and about who and what are really important in my life."

He pulled a folded piece of paper from his inside his jacket and handed it to Kensi. No smile, no smart-ass quip. The look in his eyes was unreadable.

"You're resigning, aren't you? You're leaving me." Panic descended and her stomach knotted.

"Resigning? What? Oh Kensi, no. Why would you think that?"

"Because of my harassing you about not being a real NCIS agent. I thought you finally got fed up with me and all this – she swept an arm around the gym – was your way of letting me down easy. One last night to remember, or something stupid like that."

Deeks was shocked. He never imagined she would interpret it in that way.

"Read it," he urged.

She unfolded the paper with trembling hands and stared at the words:

**NAVAL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE SERVICE**

** Application for Employment**

She looked up and met his eyes. He smiled broadly.

"Really?" she asked, hardly daring to hope.

"Hetty is already processing it and _all this_, as you say, was to surprise you for Valentine's Day. It just happened that my undercover gig wrapped up this morning."

"You succeeded," said Kensi with a big smile. "And this dress, it's . . ."

"Amazing on you." Deeks let his eyes slowly take in every detail this time. The hunger, the longing in his gaze was unmistakable now.

Kensi blushed slightly. "It's fantastic. I love it!"

"I love it on_ you_, Fern." He grinned knowing the nickname would get a reaction out of Kensi.

Kensi threw herself into his arms. "I'm so glad you're back. I missed you."

"I missed you, too, Kensalina."

She pulled back and examined his face. "What happened?" She gently ran a finger over the stitches.

Deeks chuckled. "George the mean drunk took exception to Skippy the happy drunk's rendition of the national anthem one night and I tried to intervene. Wound up on the wrong end of a broken beer bottle."

"You should have ducked," laughed Kensi.

"See, that's what I missed about you – your compassion and sympathy for your most excellent partner."

Kensi rolled her eyes. "What's for dinner, most excellent partner? I'm starving. Is that Thai?" Take-out containers sat on a cart next to the table, emitting wonderful aromas.

"Is there ever a time when you aren't hungry?"

"Rarely."

"That's what I thought. Sit," he ordered and pulled out a chair for Kensi. He could relax a little now. The earlier tension had dissipated and things were back to normal. But he had more surprises up his sleeve.

After dinner, Deeks stood and extended his hand to Kensi. "Dance with me?"

She looked a little worried. "I don't know. You stepped all over my toes the last time. And there's no music." But she loved the idea of him holding her close.

"I've got it covered." He picked up a remote from the cart and pressed a button. A slow, romantic song came over the speakers.

"I'm impressed. For a homeless bum, you've been pretty busy arranging this evening."

"You have no idea. But for the record, I prefer the term _housing-challenged_."

Kensi burst out laughing and Deeks drew her into his arms. It felt so right and perfect, like coming home.

"You've improved," noted Kensi as they swayed slowly to the music.

"Yeah, I've been practicing with Monty. He kept time while I worked on my footwork."

"I'll have to thank him for training his daddy."

The music ended and Kensi asked, "Is there dessert in that last box?"

"Of course, there's dessert. Would Marty Deeks forget that vital food group?"

"Not if he knows what's good for him."

"But first, I have something else to say."

"You're not going to shave your head, are you? Because I've gotten used to your out-of-control hair."

"Used to it or have you fallen in love with it? Because I've fallen in love with you, Kensi. You are my partner at work, my best friend, and I want you to be my partner in life, too."

Kensi's eyes widened in shock.

He pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a princess-cut diamond ring with baguettes.

"Kensi Marie Blye, will you marry me?"

She stared at the ring, then at Deeks. "Oh my . . . I have something to say, too."

_She isn't going to turn me down, is she? _wondered Deeks with a sick feeling. _I don't think I could stand that._

She chewed her bottom lip. "I don't know how or when it happened. I couldn't tell you the day or the hour, but somehow you, Marty Deeks, slowly, methodically, wormed, sometimes clawed, your way into my heart and soul. I didn't want to work with you at first; I didn't even want to like you. I resented Hetty putting us together. But now that you're in my life, I can't imagine my life without you. You make my life so much fuller. So the answer is yes, yes, I'll marry you!"

Deeks sighed in obvious relief. "Wow. That's awesome! For a minute there, I wasn't sure if we were on the same page." He took the ring from the box and slipped it on her finger.

"It's beautiful!" she whispered.

"You're beautiful," said Deeks just before he kissed her.

One kiss was not enough, nor two, but when they finally separated Deeks said, "Let's send Julia a picture."

"You want to send my mom a selfie?"

"Yeah, of course. She's waiting to hear your answer."

"She knew about this?"

"I ran it by her, you know, to be polite and she greenlighed the idea."

"Incredible. I had lunch with her yesterday and she didn't let on."

Deeks pulled out his phone. "Hold up your hand." He snapped a picture of the two of them and sent it to Julia (and Father Tim) with the text, _She said yes!_

Less than a minute later, Julia responded: _Congratulations! I'm so happy for both of you!_

"Ready for your dessert?"

Kensi kept admiring her ring, turning her hand as the candlelight reflected off the facets. "Yeah, I think I need to sit down for a minute."

He set the final take-out container in front of her.

"Is something going to jump out at me?"

"You won't know until you open it," said Deeks with his classic grin.

After a moment's hesitation, Kensi opened the box to reveal four heart-shaped chocolate donuts. Deeks knew he'd be lucky to get even half of one.

She squealed in delight. "This is the absolute perfect dessert!"

Before she could inhale one, she got another text, this one from Hetty:

_Take tomorrow off for some partner bonding time. See you Monday!_

She read it to Deeks who shrugged and said, "Cool. We could spend the whole day in bed or watching TV or shopping or whatever you want."

Kensi gave him a knowing look. "What was that first choice again?"

"The whole day in bed."

"I opt for that," nodded Kensi.

Deeks' eyebrows shot up. "Let's get out of here."

From somewhere in the Mission, Hetty nodded in approval.

"Well played, Mr. Deeks." She smiled and closed her laptop.

"Well played, indeed."

**Friday, February 14 – 8:05 a.m. – Deeks' Apartment**

Valentine's Day found Deeks and Kensi tangled together in sleep in Deeks' queen-size bed. Not an unusual situation for them, except this time they were minus pajamas.

Even Monty sensed there was a new dynamic in their relationship and let them have their privacy.

Kensi mumbled under her breath and shifted a bit. Deeks had been awake for a few minutes just watching her and twirling a strand of her hair.

"Hey Kens. Now you really are my girl!" he whispered close to her ear.

"Hmmm. Always have been," she said as she slowly opened one eye.


End file.
